ARC review || Nine Month Contract 4/5⭐️
Book 1 in the Mountain Men Matchmaker series. ❤️🐐

Wyatt’s meddling brother posted a want ad for “a baby momma who’s only interested in being an incubator, and must be fluent in grunting of said broody baby daddy.” & suddenly Trista stumbled into their lives. ✨The lucky 13th✨even though after meeting her to Wyatt there was never anyone else.

I’m not usually one for the surrogacy/pregnancy trope but I actually enjoyed it! Something about Wyatt and Trista’s chemistry made sense?
I had a soft spot for Trista, our curvy & animal-loving FMC, who felt misunderstood and unloved by everyone besides the animals she rescued. She may have felt undeserving of the classic family picture but Wyatt sneaks in and worms his way into her heart.
I felt, as an animal lover myself, just how misunderstood she is and her broken view on family. She has a difficult relationship with her body that turns into full blown admiration after carrying Stevie (rightfully so!) and that really helped rewrite her inner-narrative.
Some of the writing verbiage did however rub me the wrong way that teetered on the end of cringe-worthy at times.
That being said I adored the found family aspect of this Mountain Matchmaker novel and look forward to hopefully even better ones in the series. ❤️🏔️

Thank you @amydawsauthor & @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest review and opinions alone.

Read if you enjoy stories with:
❤️Grumpy Mountain Men/Goat daddies
🏔️Surrogacy Romance
❤️Pet Rescue
🏔️Found Family
❤️Brotherhood

honestly i struggled getting through this book. the mmc was UNBEARABLE and just so icky. Him saying he needed an incubator did not sit right with me and just made me struggle to get through this book

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the eARC!

This small town, sweet and steamy rom-com about a grumpy mountain man who wants to be a dad and the bubbly, animal loving surrogate found by the man’s niece in a Craigslist ad was such a fun read! Wyatt and Trista are a great fit for the grumpy and sunshine trope, and I love the plus size representation! Some of the words Trista refers to herself as definitely was hard to read but as a plus size person myself I understood why it was there. I laughed at the animal tally at the beginning of each chapter and really came to love all the characters, especially Everly and Wyatt’s brothers. Wyatt and Trista’s chemistry was very sweet and I love how they were able to open up to each other, reminding me that they both carried a lot of emotional trauma prior to the contract and how far they come throughout the course of the book. I really love the world that Amy Daws has come up with and I’m really excited to read about the other brothers too. Overall, a very fun rom-com!

I really enjoyed this book.

It was funny. It was different. I didn’t know how I’d feel with a pregnancy in a book but I loved it lol

Wyatt seeks a surrogate to carry a child for him. Cue in Trista who is curvy, funny, ambitious, and does not want to be a mom. She agrees to carry a child for Wyatt as a job essentially. But will their forced proximity cause issues for them? Are feelings inevitable?

My only issue with this book was some words used. Maybe I’m just too “old” to enjoy some of the language like rizz, chesticles, bajingo (for vagina)…. That was my only dislike with this book.

Will I continue this series? ABSOLUTELY.

DNF- it’s very alarming to see the author make comparisons between baby and adult private parts. I don’t know how this made it through the editing process.
I will never read anything from this author again.

Right from the get-go, this book pulls you into a world brimming with longing, peril, and tangled emotions. The spark between the two main characters is off the charts—a slow-burn attraction that simmers below the surface and eventually boils over. But what truly sets this story apart isn’t just the crackling tension — it’s the emotional depth woven into every chapter that really hits home.

This one was not for me. I am normally not a fan of the pregnancy trope in any form, but I love Amy Daws so I was excited to receive an ARC. I think the topic is a bit too serious for a light hearted rom com.

Nine Month Contract is a fun, spicy rom-com about Wyatt, a rugged mountain guy who wants to be a dad through surrogacy, and Trista, an animal lover who signs on to help. What starts as a simple contract quickly turns into something way more complicated—and way more romantic.

The novel explores themes of unconventional family-building, emotional vulnerability, and the complexities of non-traditional relationships. Wyatt’s gruff exterior and Trista’s fiery independence create a compelling grumpy/sunshine dynamic, enriched by the picturesque mountain setting and the quirky support of Wyatt’s family and animals.

Who doesn’t love a fabulous Grumpy/sunshine!

Let me begin by saying that I'm an Amy Daws aficionado. I went all in on her British "football" playing Harris brothers series and devoured her "Wait with Me" offerings, the last of which, aptly title "Last in Line", introduces us to Wyatt and his mountain men brothers. Truth be told, the mountain man archetype isn't my thing per se, but Wyatt's character is so grumpily charming (and eco-conscious!) that it's hard not to fall for the lumberjack-chic lead. What's more, hence the title of this, the first of Daws' Mountain Men series, is that he's built a pretty perfect life for himself on that mountain that lends itself to his aesthetic, a mountain that he, in fact, owns (that's swoon-worthy right there). The only thing missing from his otherwise full life is a child, someone to share his legacy and heart that's as big as his chest and other (ahem) parts with. The problem: he doesn't want to lose a love, whether tragically and from natural consequences, as his mother did when they lost his father, whose influence looms large here, or irreconcilable differences that end in divorce, like his brother's, which requires co-parenting and joint-custody. Wyatt is not the guy who'd be OK with not getting to put his alpha-love stamp on his progeny 24-7. So what's a boy to do? Hire a surrogate.

Enter Trista. Animal lover? Yes. Baby lover? Not so much. But Trista, who's backstory is just the right amount of realistic tragedy, has deep-seated abandonment issues. She's never wanted a partner or family of any sort. Having to fend for herself for essentially her entire life, what she wants is a large animal rescue / sanctuary (the kind of place a mountain would be just perfect for, no?). To get it, however, she's not only going to need a whole lot of cash but also a place to live for the time being since she's been ousted, along with her overgrown pot-bellied pig, Sir Reginald, from her former living situation. Enterprising as she is, she decides to rent out her womb and ride the surrogacy train. The issue? She's fat, or, at least, told that she's not a viable surrogate by the same Denver agencies that are refusing to provide Wyatt with their services because . . . single straight male?

However, a meet-cute not between Wyatt and Trista but his niece, Everly, whose character features prominently in Daws's "Last on the List" entails right outside said snooty surrogacy agency. While the lovable teen's goal is to provide her uncle with the perfect surrogate, her real "genius" plan is to find the taciturn, grunty, but ultimately gooey, uncle his happily ever after.

Daws balances humor, heat, and heartfelt realness in her development of the two characters, who are, in true rom-com style, drawn to one another - their chemistry is palpable from the jump. Yet, the demons that haunt Wyatt and Trista are sketched out enough that while you know these two will get their HEA you're kept on edge enough to see that Daws is going to make them, and, by default, us work for it. Ultimately, Trista's fondness for animals provides fodder (farm pun!) for both an on-going joke about the number of animals she's managed to convince Wyatt, former hater of all animals except Milly, his pet goat (aw. . . ), to adopt and some real relationship material (looking at you, chicken scene). The path to an HEA is never easy, however, and it takes longer for her to come around to the fact that she might just be more than the surrogate that the titular nine-month contract suggests. It takes pretty much the whole damn book for her to realize that she is, in fact, worthy of Wyatt's and, by default, his large and equally heart-of-gold-ed (go with it) family's love.

The author also teases Wyatt's brother Calder's story at the end of this one and I am here for it, as I am for their other brother, Luke, and his romance that's sure to follow. Thanks for making me a believer that the mountain man character is more than just a pale pastiche of some Brawny fantasy, Amy.

This was a really cute and fun romcom. Some of the tropes are age gap, curvy female character, slow burn and surrogacy. Wyatt, the brawny mountain man has decided he wants to be a father and hires Trista as his surrogate. Even though there's a slow burn, there is plenty of spicy scenes to go around. I loved Trista & Wyatt's flirty banter and undeniable chemistry that really made this story shine. This is the first story I've read about surrogacy so that was a fun difference. This is a book to add to your collection.

Thank you SO much to Harlequin for the ARC!

𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝑰𝑭 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑳𝑰𝑲𝑬:
♡ baby mama by hire
♡ romantic comedy
♡ forced proximity
♡ small town romance
♡ found family

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑶𝑼𝑮𝑯𝑻𝑺:
This was a really sweet book! I loved the concept of the book, a single man who wants nothing more than a baby but is EXTRA picky about the surrogate and his niece essentially finds one who fits the bill for him? She lives on his farm and the forced proximity is too much to deny their feelings for each other? Yes please.

Trista was an incredibly sweet, hilarious, somewhat broken FMC who I just wanted to wrap up the hugs she never got. She had a lot of baggage from her past that she had to work through to decide she deserves the love she wants from Wyatt in the end.

Wyatt is the staple grumpy mountain man with a heart of gold who wants nothing more than to be a dad. He fought his feelings for Trista so hard, especially when he thought she didn’t want it too. Watching him open up and show his desire to her was incredibly sweet and very spicy 🥵

I loved the side characters and the found family in the end. I’m looking forward to the second book!

This is a different take on the pregnancy trope, and the title makes complete sense. Trista and Wyatt make a nine month contract — she’ll be his surrogate and then she’ll just leave. But, oh, things aren’t so simple.

Wyatt was so caring and sweet, even though he was pretty grumpy and brusque toward almost everyone (especially his brothers). And even though Trista was only supposed to be his surrogate, he was protective and possessive of her (not just because of the baby).

Trista was so bubbly and sassy, and she had such a big heart. She didn’t have the easiest childhood or family life, but she still knew how to love.

These two had great banter and so much chemistry! I loved how Trista just kept bringing animals and Wyatt grumpily allowed them.

This book was hilarious, and it was a great start to a new series. I can’t wait for the next one.

Ok I did not expect to like this book so much. Amy Daws's writing style is so hilarious and has so much heart that you just can't help but fall in love with the characters. I honestly felt the troubles these characters were going through and I was just rooting for their little family the whole time. I never though I would find myself liking the pregnancy trope but here I was eating it all up. You also can't go wrong with a grumpy MMC who turns out to be a teddy bear. I loved this book and can't wait to read the next one.

Not going to lie this one had some problematic aspects of the book. Mainly the why the hero went about the whole finding a surrogate. But I’m also not going to lie there are also quite a few funny and sweet moments. And a slow burn romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Canary Street Press of Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of Nine Month Contract by Amy Daws.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wyatt has it bad for his surrogate, he just doesn’t know it. He finds settle ways to pamper her and enjoys watching out for her. And he reassures her she can be independent and happy with his “daddy bombing.”

Yes to 🐐
Yes to 💐
Yes to bajango lingo
Yes to 🥐 for breakfast
Yes to remodeling OB offices
Yes to 💗 tall, tattooed, bearded, and hotter than the Fourth of July mountain men
Yes to memory foam, hydraulic lift mattresses
Yes to found family
Yes to lucky number 13

I was enamored with this couple, family, and animals! Thanks to the meddling niece I now know more about surrogacy and she is only 18 years old! Daws crafted a lovely family who care deeply about their loved ones and living a balanced life. I really enjoyed the extra touch with the count down chapter headings. Humor and spice were the main attraction. I will recommend this book to everyone. It’s a new twist on live in ‘nanny’ trope. Also, I can’t forget the cover! The sprayed edges! Gorgeous illustrations! And I secretly want a goat.

Truly loved this book! It was a fun listen & read and I definitely will be finishing this series!

As an IVF mom, I loved this book. It was refreshing and nice to see infertility struggles being conveyed (although unconventional) it was believable!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author and given the summary, I wasn't sure what to expect with this book. I was looking for a light-hearted read, but one with some substance, not just spice. I really enjoyed this book. It was extremely predictable and some moments were cheesy, but it was a light read when I was stressed and just wanted to lose myself in a story. I really liked the main characters and I especially liked the the MFC wasn't a twig.

I also really loved the theme that was developed over the course of the story and how the MMC'S family was so connected and supportive of each other.

I would definitely read more books by this author!

Thanks to Canary Street Press for this beautiful #gifted copy.
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Wyatt wants to be a dad and is looking for a surrogate. His brothers are annoying in the way they try to help. His niece Everly wants to help. When she stumbles across Trista, she convinces Wyatt to interview her.
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Wyatt interviews her and she’s perfect. They work out an agreement and Trista moves to town. When the “project” begins, Wyatt realizes Trista is more perfect that he imagined and the man is falling hard.
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Trista is so quirky and her love of animals is touching. Wyatt - the way this man takes care of her! Swoony.
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There was so much yearning between these two, you could cut the tension with a knife. And as always, it’s filled with humor!
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I love the small town romance and family aspect of this mountain man family! And the grumpy/sunshine.

I really enjoyed this book, I personally didn't find the surrogacy plot line offensive or that weird, but I can totally see why some people may not be okay with it and to them I say move on to a different book. I really loved the small-town, close-knit/found family feel, Wyatt's niece Evie plays a big part in getting things in motion and I thought it was so sweet how close she was with her uncles! It is an age gap romance which I don't really love but it was only 10 years and was not a super central plot line, plus she was in her late 20s and he in his late 30s, which feels a lot better than when the girl is like in university and in her early 20s. Wyatt is a possessive, older, alpha male, the quintessential quiet, territorial, mountain man! BUT he had tattoos, so that just made him even better! Overall, I really enjoyed Trista, there were a few things that she did/said that were a little too ridiculous for me and is why I couldn't give this a 5-star review. If they had been cut, then this easily would have hit 5 stars for me! First, she compared a pillow's softness to a baby's foreskin, she clarifies that she's never touched one but adults are so she assumes a babys would be. It was just so weird and unnecessary! She also kept referring to herself as a cow whenever she was trying to detach from the surrogacy, it just felt so off for a plus size lady who talks about how hard she's worked to be confident in her body but admits to still having insecurities, to refer to herself as a cow. Like I know she enjoys animals but I feel like being called a cow is triggering for every women but especially plus sized ladies!

I really enjoyed this story! I thought the 'wanna be' single dad trope was done well and I loved these characters. Can't wait to read more from Daws!